Studs and Studs vs LSU
The Missouri Tigers upset the defending national champions this past Saturday in a thrilling contest. The game went down to the last second with Mizzou winning the contest 45-41.
*No duds because the upset was incredible to watch
STUDS
Connor Bazelak
Stats:
29/34 (85%)
406 passing yards (4 touchdowns)
QBR (91.3)
Bazelak is the answer for Missouri Tigers! Coming off a week where he showed flashes against Tennessee, Bazelak was named the starter and many were wondering if Bazelak could perform well against LSU.
It didn’t take much time for Bazelak to show that he is by far the best option for the Tigers moving forward. Bazelak went 29/34 for 406 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. The spectacular performance from Bazelak earned him a 91.3 QBR for the game.
Bazelak was the best player on the field Saturday even though he was without three of his receivers. The leading receiver, Damon Hazelton, and the other starting receiver, Keke Chism, were both out due to COVID. Slot receiver Dominic Gicinto also missed the game because of contact tracing.
Despite being without both starting receivers, Bazelak still managed to terrorized LSU’s defense. Bazelak started the onslaught with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Tauskie Dove.
LSU quickly responded and scored on their next two possessions. However, Bazelak never faltered and matched every touchdown and big play that LSU had.
Bazelak’s play versus LSU was recognized within the conference. Bazelak was named SEC Freshman of the Week.
If Bazelak can keep up this play or even close to it, Mizzou has a great chance of turning their season around and finishing the season with a winning record.
Larry Rountree III
Stats:
18 rushes, 121 yards
Avg. yards per carry 6.6
Larry Rountree being on the studs list is becoming a tradition. This is the third week in a row where Rountree has made this list.
Rountree had his best performance to date against the Tigers. Rountree eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark for the first time this year. The 6.6 yards per carry is fantastic, especially going against a defense that possesses a lot of NFL talent.
This is the first game that Mizzou’s offensive line dominated the opposing defensive line and the impact of that is shown in Rountree’s numbers. The holes the line opened up for Rountree were big enough to allow him to utilize his elite vision and to get to the second level.
Once Rountree gets to the second level of the defense, it is extremely hard to bring him down. Rountree is a physical running back that doesn’t run away from contact, and in fact, enforces the hits on opposing defensive players.
Larry Rountree is putting together a fantastic year and if the offensive line continues to play well, Rountree has a shot to earn not only end of the year conference recognition, but he has a chance to earn national recognition.
Tauskie Dove
Stats:
6 receptions 83 yards (1 touchdown)
Tauskie Dove, the redshirt sophomore from Texas, introduced himself to Tiger Nation with a monster performance against LSU. Before this LSU game, Dove only had 1 reception on the year which came week 1 against Alabama. Dove was used sparingly and was a non-factor before Saturday.
With three key receivers being out because of COVID, Dove was one of the many backup receivers called on to pick up the slack. Dove set the tone for the offense in the opening drive when he hauled in a 58-yard touchdown pass from Bazelak.
Dove proved throughout the game that the touchdown catch wasn’t a fluke, and made many key receptions throughout the game. Dove finished the game with 6 receptions for 83 yards.
The performance by Dove was shocking and it at least means that Dove will play a lot more snaps than what he was previously receiving.
It will be interesting to see if Dove replaces the struggling-starting receiver, Keke Chism. Tauskie Dove in one game has produced more than Chism has in two games.
Nick Bolton
Stats:
Tackles: 11
Solo Tackles: 7
Pass Breakups: 3
Nick Bolton makes his second appearance on the studs list. Last week, Bolton reminded everyone why he was one of the best linebackers in the country when he registered 17 tackles against Tennessee.
Bolton was able to carry his stellar play into the game against LSU. LSU threw the ball 48 times against Mizzou, so that limited the number of plays Bolton could make an impact on.
Nevertheless, Bolton still managed to be all over the field which was evident in the 11 tackles that he made.
Late in the game, Bolton was crucial against LSU’s passing attack. During the goal-line stand that won Mizzou the game, Bolton had a pass breakup on the 1-yard line. Bolton finished the game with 3 total pass breakups.
The play by Bolton against LSU earned him The FWAA & Nagurski Trophy National Player of the Week.